Chick brooder



May 27, 1941.

G. M. KEPPLER 2,243,159

CHICK BROODER Filed Jan. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j Mai M 51m.

A iiomeys G. M. KEPPLER 2,243,159

CHICK BROODER May 27, 1941.

Filed Jan 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A iiomcys Patented May 27, 1941 CHICKBROODER Glenn M. Keppler, North Manchester, Ind.

Application January 2, 1940, Serial No. 312.127

2 Claims.

This invention relates to chick breeders, and has for the primary objectthe provision of a device of this character which will provide for freeentrance and eXit of chicks from device without direct draft on thechicks within said device and will have the humidity therein reduced toa minimum without the use of forced ventilation and will prevent thechicks from crowding one on the other when hovering under the heatingmeans of the device and consequently obviates loss by death of chicksinjured by crowding as specified.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novelconstruction of heating means for the device which besides assuring ofample heating of the device to a desired temperature at a nominal cost,will bring about a gradual circulation of air into and about the entireinterior of the device and from the latter so as to assure of a minimumamount of humidity l within the confines of the device and thereby bringabout healthier chicks with loss of chicks by death reduced to aminimum.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention,

reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a bottom plan view illustrating a brooderconstructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the brooder.

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating arrangement of doublecurtains for the brooder to bring about an indirect entrance of air tothe interior of the brooder from the exterior and to preheat the airbefore reaching the interior of the brooder.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the brooder with theheating means therein.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view showing means of removably mountingthe guard in. the brooder over the heating means.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a solid topwall or ceiling and 6 depending walls supported at selected distancesfrom a floor or surface by adjustable legs 1. The depending thesupporting surface will permit the use of walls 6 being spaced from Icurtains designated generally by the character 8 on said side walls topermit chicks to readily pass into and. from the interior of the devicewithout direct draft on the chicks within the confines of the devicefrom the exterior of the latter.

Retaining strips 8' are detachably secured to the lower edges of thedepending walls for clamping the curtains onto the depending walls sothat said curtains will be draped to form inner and outer pairs ofcurtains forming therebetween an air space S. The inner curtains atcertain corners of the device are cut away to form ports or slots Hi topermit the air circulating in. the space to enter the interior of thedevice.

An electric heating means indicated generally the character I3 isarranged on the ceiling 5 and spaced from the depending walls andconsists of a deflector plate H of substantially rectangular shapesecured to and spaced from the ceiling by fastening means l2. Thedeflector plate I i being of the shape specified provides an air openingl3. angers of the insulator type indicated by the character [4 arecarried by and depend from the deflector plate for supporting anelectric heating coil !5, the shape of which is substantiallyrectangular and said heating ccil i5 is connected to electric leads [6.An electric switch I! of the thermostatic control type is mounted on theinterior of the device by a bracket l8 and is connected into the leadsl8 for making and breaking the circuit to the heating coil in accordancewith the temperature which the thermostatic switch I! is set to providewithin the device. Also connected in the electric leads are electriclamps l9 and 2:3. The electric lamp !9 is located on the ceiling withinthe opening L? of the deflector while the electric lamp 2!) is arrangedeXt-eriorly cf the device. The purpose of the electric lamps is toprovide illumination.

A foramincus guard 23 of substantially rectangular shape is detachablysecured on the ceiling by fasteners 24 and encloses the electric heatingelement. The purpose of the guard is prevent the chicks from crowdingtoo close to the heating element one upon the other which would tend toin iure the chicks. The legs I ing adju table permit the distancebetween the guard e the supporting surface to be varied so as to a tdevice for housing different size ch' 5 and still prevent them fromcrowding one other as stated. hi operation when the electric heatingmeans is throwing oil heat, it is to be understood that the heatradiates from the heating element in all directions. However, due to thenatural tendency for heat to rise, the heat will strike the deflector Hand some of which will be caused to travel outwardly and downwardlywithin the device while some of the heat will pass through the openingl3 of the deflector and strike the ceiling and follow along the ceilingtoward the depending walls. As the heat travels toward the dependingwalls it cools and naturally descends to rise again toward the heatingelements owing to the heat being thrown off by said heating elements andrising.

In other words, the heat travels in paths of substantially oval shape asindicated by arrows in Figures 1 and 4 within the device and with 1eventilator ports 2i opened or partially open by slide plates 22 some ofthis heated air traveling along the ceiling will reach the ventilatorsand pass to the exterior of the device.

Air exteriorly of the device being cooler than the air within the devicewill enter the spaces 9 between the inner and outer curtains by passingunder the outer curtains and on contacting the warm air within thedevice will be checked thereby from passing directly into said deviceand will be caused by the warm air to rise in the spaces 9 and travellongitudinally therein until reaching the ports 10 and then pass throughsaid ports I into the interior of the device and gradually comminglewith the warmer air within said device. The air traveling along thespaces 9 contacting the inner curtains will be warmed or preheated priorto reaching the interior of the device. Thus it will be seen that withthe heating element in operation establishing the air circulation asspecified within the device there will be a gradual change of air fromwithin the device to the exterior with air entering the device in anindirect manner so as to prevent direct draft on the chicks and bringabout healthier air for the chicks to live in with humidity reduced to aminimum.

A device of the character described and shown in the drawings will beeconomical to manufacture and maintain in operation and will providehealthy conditions under which the chicks may live and thrive.

It is believed that the foregoing description, when taken in connectionwith the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantagesof this invention to those skilled in the art to which such a devicerelates, so that further detailed description will not be required.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a brooder of the character described, a rectangular shaped frameincluding a ceiling of solid construction and depending connected walls,adjustable legs for the support of said frame, adjustable ventilators inthe frame, inner and outer pairs of curtains detachably secured on anddepending from said depending walls and providing therebetween an airpassage of rectangular shape, certain of said inner curtains havingports at one end thereof to admit air from the passage into the frame atdiagonally located corners thereof, a deflector plate secured on andspaced from the ceiling and having an opening, an electric heating meanssupported by said deflector plate in a plane therebelow so that heatthrown off thereby will rise and strike said deflector and extendlaterally therefrom and also pass through the opening of the deflectorplate and strike the ceiling and follow the ceiling toward the dependingwalls, said heated air descending Within the frame when arriving nearthe depending walls and passing toward the center of the frame andrising toward the heat thrown off by the said electric heating means.

2. In a brooder, a rectangular shaped wall construction includingvertical walls positioned at right an les to each other, a flathorizontal ceiling for said wall construction, inner and outer curtainssecured to and depending from each vertical wall to form a continuousair passage of rectangular shape, every other inner curtain being cutaway at one end to form an air port communicating the air passage withthe space defined by said walls and the ceiling at diagonally locatedcorners formed by said walls, a heating means carried by the ceilingWithin the walls, and supporting means for the walls.

GLENN M. KEPPLER.

